Locomotive terminal



Aug. 8, J E W 1,921,878

COMOTIVE TE Filed March 6, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR, db/m 5 Ham/e WITNESS A TTORNEYSI Aug. 8, 1933. A 1,921,878

LOCOMOTIVE TERMINAL Filed March 6, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR; I John E. Ham/e, WITNESS WHW ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 8, 1933 UNITED STATES LOCOMOTIVE TERMINAL John E. Hawc, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Railway Engineering Equipment Company, Chicago, 111., a Corporation of Illinois Application March 6, 1931. Serial No. 520,544

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of operating locomotive terminals, as well as to apparatus forming part of such a terminal, whereby a desired water level will be automatically maintained in a locomotive boiler while such boiler is being held in steamed condition without the use of fire upon the locomotive.

Locomotive terminals in which locomotives, without the use of fire thereon, are held under steam pressure for longer or shorter periods of time pending assignment to regular duty or emergency use, are usually of the Direct Steaming type, characterized by the so-called fireless enginehouse having stalls in which locomotives can be stored, equipped not only with the blowoff pipe and heat salvaging apparatus through which the locomotive may discharge the contents of its boiler, but with means whereby the locomotive may be restored to steamed condition, not through the use of fire upon the locomotive, but by the supply of hot filling water through the filling pipe and high pressure steam through a steam pipe; which pipes lead from a local source or sources of hot water and steam, extraneous to the locomotive, and have facilities through which to temporarily connect them with the locomotive. In the practical use of Direct Steaming Systems or fireless enginehouses, it is usual to hold locomotives under steam pressure, including those brought in to be held without renovation as well as those newly filled and restored to steamed condition, without the use of fire on the locomotive, by having their boilers connected with the extraneous source of steam, either at the renovating stall or at a waiting station equipped for the purpose so that the fire of a locomotive need not be lighted until about the time of its departure for assigned duty. But the present invention is applicable to any terminal where the last-named means are provided for keeping up a working steam pressure on a locomotive without the use of fire therein and regardless of whether the terminal also embodies the Direct Steaming facilities for restoring the locomotive from the cold or emptied condition.

In maintaining a steamed condition in locomotives at terminals of the Direct Steaming or fireless enginehouse type, it is usual to introduce the steam through a blowofi cock in the water leg of the boiler, so that this steam will not only keep up a desired steam pressure in the locomotive boiler but will heat the water therein to a temperature corresponding to that of the steam at the pressure maintained in the locomotive boiler. This procedure results in the accumulation of condensed steam within the locomotive boiler amounting to the weight of steam required for maintaining the locomotive boiler in steamed condition during the time of its hold-over; the volume of water so accumulating varying with the size of the locomotive boiler; and the amount of heat radiated through the boiler shell, tubes, etc.

Thus, when locomotives are, by the means described, held in steamed condition for a considerable period, for instance, eight hours or more, the water level may rise in the locomotive boiler to a height considerably above the desired working level so that it becomes necessary for an attendant to open one of the locomotive blowoif valves and allow boiler water to be discharged therefrom until the height of water in the boiler has been lowered to the desired level. This necessitates more or less regular attendance upon the locomotive when held under steam for considerable periods and. this attendance in some instances, as where a relief passenger locomotive is held for days at a time for emergency service, may become very considerable. Hence, while there is an obvious advantage in being able to hold locomotives in an ,enginehouse for considerable periods of time without maintaining a fire on the locomotive but at the same timekeeping the locomotive in a steamed condition available for short notice, this advantage is realized at considerable expense for manual attendance in occasional blowing down of the boiler. Moreover, when, in thus correcting the water level, the engine is blown down through existing blowofi facilities the water and its continued heat are largely wasted.

One object of the present invention is to provide a method of procedure and an improved construction of locomotive terminal for practicing such method, whereby the above stated disadvantages, incident to the fireless method of holding locomotives under steam as now practiced, will be eliminated. This object is realized by causing, and providing instrumentalities through means of which to cause, automatic discharge of excess water currently as the level rises and while the steam for maintaining pressure is being supplied below the water level; this automatic discharge being in response tointernal pressure of the locomotive boiler but without the undesired escape of steam from the space above said level; the escaping water being preferably trapped in the escape passage until appreciable volumes thereof accumulate, and such volumes being intermittently discharged by the trap; and this trap being of a nature which will cause it to automatically closeagainst the escape of an undesirable volume of steam.

A further object of the invention is to render the new procedure more economical than the fireless method of holding locomotives under steam as heretofore practiced, in the matter of the filling pipe or other container which will,

make it available for reuse as filling water for other locomotives, and where it willaugment. the volume and increase the temperature such filling water.

The invention resides in thedili'erent phas of novel procedure above outlned, and in the novel instrumentalities for real ng such procedure which are hereinafter described.

In. putting the invention into practice, steam is supplied to a locomotive boiler at a point below the waterlevel' thereof the boiler currently relieved of water accumulating as result of condensation. of such steam, as such water reaches a height at which it is desir .l to maintain the maximum water level; and this water is ejected by boiler pressure, but without permitting escape, to a material degree, of steam from the space above said level. That is to say, steam for maintaining a desired pressure is supplied as heretofore, and due to the accumul tion of condensed steamin the locomotive boil the water level tends to rise; but accordin to thepresent invention, this rise in level is l nited by the water reaching a discharge openii through the boiler shell at a point adjacent maximum level desired, where the surpv escapes into a discharge pipe. But, in so escaping, the water meets a steam trap which, by virtueof its construction, permits the passage of Water. therethrough, preferably intermittentlyas successive volumes of water accumulate therein that arev sunlcient to cause the trap to tuna tion; and as soon as, each charge or water documulated in the trap has been exhausted the from by force of the steam presswe in space above the water in the locomove boiler, the trap reacts and serves to block the exit of: steam so, that there is no material diminution ofv pressure in the locomotive boiler.

In the above-described manner, alllsurplus water accumulating in the locomotive boiler, occasioned by condensation, is currently removed without requiring any attendance or occasioning any diminution of ste pressure in the boiler. Furthermore, water taken from water level in this, way will generallybe suitable for refilling purposes and will, in the preferred development of the invention, provided a filling water supplyis present, be salvaged along with its contained heat for filling purposes; In thus salvaging, this water, the supply of ii is not only augmented in volume but -ncreased in temperature, since the temperature of the water leaving a boiler under steam jpressure greater than that of ordinary filling water; and especially is, this increaseoi temperature realized, when the salvaged is envered directly into the filling water pipe and there min gled, with water that is flowing to other loco motives which are, at the time, being The new system lends itself with peculiar advantage to this economical disposal or the excess water and its contained heat, since the boiler r-. which is behind the water as itleaves the trap is greater than that of "he pump which is forcing water through the filling main. v

I The means employed for practicing the method of the present invention embrace, in the-simplest there be substantiallyconstant water level, but means form of the invention, a locomotive terminal or fireless hold-over station equipped with not only the usual steam supply pipe leading from an extraneous source of steam supply through a releasable connection to the locomotive blowoff "racer, but a draw-oil hole in the locomotive boiler shell at or near the maximum water level which it is desired to maintain therein, a valved outcontrolling the escape of water through said of permitting escape of water but preventing the escape of steam. Such an arrangement, if salvaging is not to be realized, would deliver surplus water escaping from the locomotive boiler into a seweror othe' place of disposal. To realice the additional phase of the invention in which salvaging of the water and its heat are realized, the -Jminal equipment is made to include, in addition to the features just described, a suitable connection, preferably equipped with a check valve to resist back-flow, leading from the steam trap to a hot filling water main through which water is pumped as needed for filling locomotives inthe several stalls, and into which the water will be injected by the locomotive boiler pressure that forces it from the steam trap, so that surplus water from the boiler, resulting from cond' .ationof steam introduced to keep up pressure in the waiting locomotive, will add its volume heat units to the filling water supas already explained.

In both the a plieation of the invention which involves salvaging Water and heat by injecting it into the filling water pipe, and the application where because of lack 'of' boiler filling facilities 1 surplus water i wasted, the important advantage of automatic level maintenance, without the ex of attendance, will be realized.

1W0 forms 'of apparatus suitable for putting present invention into efiect are illustrated in the'accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure l is a cross sectional View of a portion of an enginehouse and locomotive stall,- of which there may be any number therein, together with a side view of a locomotive and equipment whereby said locomotive may be held under steam pressure without the use of fire therein and without the accumulation of an excessive water level.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of a portion of an enginehouse and a stalltherein, of which n, number, together with a locoe occupying said stall, and means for not aintaining the desired steam'pressure and w ereby a locomotive may be restored to steamco tion after having been emptied.

e 3 aplan view of the installation in Figure 2. re a is a detail view, partly in section, L0 showing the preferred construction of outlet means'employed near the desired water level; and b Figure 5 is a sectional detailview showing the outlet with the valve applied thereto, and a portionof the releasably connected pipe which leads from the valve to the steam trap.

Referring to Figure 1, A represents a portion of an enginehouse; B a stall therein, of which there may be any desired number; and C a locomotive oeing held under steam pressure without the use of fire thereon, to accomplish which steam is supplied from an extraneous source through the pipe main 1, flexible pipe connection 2, controlling valve 3 and locomotive blowoff cock 1. As steam is thus supplied to the locomotive boiler, a desired water level D is maintained in the locomotive boiler notwithstanding accumulation of Water from condensation, by permitting excess water to automatically escape from the boiler through a valved outlet 5 at or near the desired water level. Valved outlet 5 has releasably connected to it through a joint 6:1: (shown on an enlarged scale in Figure 5) a pipe 6 leading to a trap 7 which may be of any one of numerous commercially well known forms performing the function of accumulating a volume of water and then discharging it, but always closing in the presence of escaping steam. Trap 7, in the arrangement shown in Figure 1, discharges through a pipe 8 to sewer or some other suitable place of disposal.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, G represents a locomotive in a stall E of an enginehouse F which is equipped with not only the pipe main 1, flexible pipe connection 2, valve 3 and locomotive blowoff cock 4, whereby steam from an extraneous source may be supplied to the locomotive boiler below its water level, but additional means, namely, hot filling water pipe 9 and blowofi pipe 10, common to Direct Steaming enginehouses whereby the locomotive boiler may be blown off and thereafter refilled and restored to steamed condition. In Figure 2, however, valved outlet 5 is connected by a pipe 612 with a trap 7a which discharges past a check valve 15a to a connection 15 which leads to the hot filling water main 9, so that water accumulating and automatically blowing ofi from the locomotive boiler in consequence of condensation of steam, is salvaged along with its heat for reuse in filling the locomotive boiler.

Other parts illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 are those common to direct steaming systems, namely, the direct steaming booster 11 which serves as a combining chamber for steam supplied through pipe 1 and hot filling water delivered through pipe 9 in the operation common to direct steaming systems of restoring an empty locomotive boiler to a steamed condition, the booster 11 being provided with a lateral branch 12 through which the contents of the boiler may be diverted to the blow-off main in the process of emptying the boiler preliminary to cleaning, repairing and refilling.

13 represents a connection through which steam from pipe main 1 reaches the booster 11, and 14 represents the connection between said booster and the hot filling water pipe 9.

As in Figure 1, the arrangement shown in Figures 2 and 3 employ a valved outlet 5. But this outlet, in this instance, is connected through flexible pipe 6a leading upward to an elevated steam trap 7 which discharges into the filling water main 9 through a connection 15 which is provided with check valve 15a to prevent back-flow of water from the said water main to the said trap.

Figure 4 shows, partly in section, the preferred outlet means at the water line of the boiler. This consists of a thimble l6 fixedly mounted in the boiler shell in any suitable Way, such, for instance, as by wedging threads and a threaded plug 17 removably inserted in said thimble, as, for instance, by means of square threads, and controlling the escape of surplus water through the hole 18. Threaded plug 17 has a reduced bore and terminates in an external threaded end 19, to which is applied the valved outlet 5.

Figure 5 shows the assembly of the outlet thimble 16, plug 17 and valve 5, as well as the flexible connection 6, detachably united to said valve 5 through means of the coupling In this view, 20 represents a section of the boiler shell into which the thimble 16 has been inserted at the water level D. One advantage of the outlet construction shown in Figures 4 and 5 is its semblance to standard locomotive boiler washout plug construction, and the fact thatif, as is frequently the case, such washout plugs are already applied to the locomotive shell sufficiently near the maximum desired water level, they may readily be adapted to serve outlet means for purposes of the present invention.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention contemplates a method for automatically maintaining a maximum water level in locomotives held under steam supplied from an extraneous source, together with practical means available for realizing such method;

also that modification of the said method and i means which involves salvaging water and heat passing from the locomotive boiler and effecting the salvage under the advantageous conditions of injecting the water by pressure of the 1000- motive boiler, directly into the filling water main i 7 Where its heat can be fully availed of.

I claim:

1. The improvement in the method of maintaining a constant water level in a locomotive boiler retained in a steamed condition without 3 the use of fire on the locomotive, which consists in supplying steam to the locomotive boiler below the water level therein, drawing off water from the surface of the body of water within the boiler whenever this tends to exceed the desired level, and without escape of steam from above the water level; the water drawn off from the boiler being caused to flow, under pressure of said boiler, as filling water into another locomotive boiler.

2. In locomotive terminal apparatus, a steam supply main, a locomotive boiler, pipe connections from said supply main to said locomotive boiler below the water level of said boiler, a valved outlet from said boiler in water level regulating relation thereto, a steam-arresting trap, and a pipe connection from said valved outlet to said trap.

3. Locomotive terminal apparatus as described in claim 2, in which there is a locomotive filling water main receiving water from said trap.

4. Locomotive terminal apparatus as described in claim 2, in which there is a locomotive filling water main and a pipe through which water is delivered to said main from said steamarresting trap; and the valved outlet and the pipe leading to the steam-arresting trap, together with said trap and the pipe leading to the filling Water main, constitute a pressure transmitting passage from the locomotive boiler to said filling Water main.

JOHN E. HAWE. 

